Bosch alternator installation warning tag, Addendum to an old thread, too lazy to look for it Options

[Cap'n Krusty]

In an off the wall reply to a transmission linkage lubrication suggestion I made over on The Bird, I was challenged to supply proof for an assertion I made in an old thread here (!) regarding possible alternator damage from jump starting a car with a dead battery. As the alternator in a car is intended to function primarily as a battery maintainer, NOT a battery charger, Bosch has seen fit to include a warning label or tag with every new or remanufactured alternator they sell. I think it's reasonable to assume they have some valid reason to supply us with that warning, and to extend that wisdom to a dead battery situation leading to the necessity for a jump start.





Some folks have a long memory for things that, for whatever reason, offended them. Because I've been challenged to provide a reason for my earlier statement, which I fully stand behind, I've searched the web for an image of that warning tag. After reading the tag, the person challenging my advice is, of course, free to do exactly as he wishes. Frankly, Scarlett, I don't give a damn. If risking a new alternator, which can be priced at thousands of dollars (yup, and that's in US money!) is what he, or anyone else chooses to do, please be my guest! If this person's engineering department comes up with peer reviewed double blind test results that disprove Bosch's advice, I'd be happy to issue a public apology and review my opinion. Until that happens, I'll err on the side of caution, and do it the right way as I see it.

See, Krustiness AND politeness in the same post! Betcha you didn't see THAT coming!

The Cap'n

[stugray]

We appear to have the same s*#@storm we had the last time this topic came up.

I dont see any kind of storm.
I am actually agreeing with you, I just have some issues with the wording on the tag.
It is an absolute fact that asking a stock alternator to charge a dead battery is bad and could fry an alternator if the engineers did not design overcurrent protection into it.

Please, read the pictured tag. If you feel it doesn't apply to you, ignore it. If your engineering department is larger than Bosch's, ignore it.

I can say this: The engineering dept where is work likely IS bigger than BOSCH's and any engineer that designed a system that would fail under expected circumstances, would be fired.

I have some faith in Bosch so I dont believe they would design an alternator (today) that would immediately fail if asked to charge a dead battery.
With that said ANYTHING that asks the alternator to run at maximum capacity will shorten it's life.

Seriously- No-one else sees a problem with the second statement on the tag?
If one of the statements is a flat out lie, what does that mean about the first one.

Again, I beleve they meant to say somethig different and screwed up the wording.